


Two Lesbians and a Flower Shop

by Shananigans402



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Flowers, Fluff, No Lesbians Die, One Shot Collection, Romance, flower shop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27127031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shananigans402/pseuds/Shananigans402
Summary: Two beautiful women showing up in a small Vermont town to run a flower shop is certainly going to attract attention. This collection of one shots (some may be connected, some not) will explore different interactions centered around our favorite lesbian florists and The Leafling.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 84
Kudos: 486





	1. Happy Anniversary

The ring of the bell over the door prompted Jamie to glance up with a smile, only for that expectant smile to fade when she realized it wasn’t Dani, but a customer who had walked through the door.

She knew it was probably a bad business practice to be disappointed when customers entered the shop, but she really hated the customer service side of the operation. Fortunately, Dani’s kind smile and personable nature made her a fantastic saleswoman and Jamie was usually only responsible for the behind-the-scenes part of the business, which was the part she actually enjoyed - ordering flowers and creating arrangements. However, there were times when one of them would be out running errands, leaving the other to independently run the shop. Unfortunately, this was one of those times.

“Welcome to The Leafling,” Jamie called out to the man who had walked into the store. She knew Dani would be proud of her for that; Jamie’s English upbringing made her reluctant to call out greetings and be overly friendly with customers, but Dani often gently chided her to be friendlier since they weren’t in the UK anymore and Americans would take offense at her lack of hospitality.

The man glanced over and fixed her with a smile before making his way towards the counter. “Hi there, I’m looking for some flowers and I’m thinking I came to the right place.”

Jamie forced a tight smile and tried not to roll her eyes at the amused smile on the man’s face as he was clearly proud of what he considered a clever comment. “What kind of flowers are you looking for?”

The man’s smile faltered, seemingly disappointed by Jamie’s to-the-point response. “Roses, red roses. They’re my wife’s favorite and today’s our anniversary.”

Jamie nodded and turned to the counter behind her to hide her disapproving expression from the customer. She seriously doubted the cliché choice was a favorite of the man’s wife; more likely, it was what he’d always bought for her because he lacked originality. 

“How many then?” Jamie asked as she tried to look busy organizing items on the counter to make it seem like there was a reason she was facing away other than to hide her own judgment about his order.

“A dozen should be good. Oh, and some of those filler flowers too, the little white ones.”

Jamie nodded and made her way around the shop, quickly gathering the requested flowers. It pained her to put together such a bland arrangement. On top of that, the sight of red or white roses always made her think of the rosebushes Miles, or rather Peter, had vandalized to put together the bouquet for Dani. And if that memory didn’t bring down her mood enough, the customer decided to make small talk.

“I noticed you have an accent. Where’s it from? It’s not one we hear often in these parts.”

“England,” Jamie replied tersely, hoping the answer would satisfy the man and keep him quiet while she quickly gathered the remaining flowers. “Will you be wanting a vase or just the bouquet?”

“Might as well get a vase, it is our anniversary after all,” the man replied with a playful wink that made Jamie glance down to keep from frowning at the gesture. “England, huh? You’re a long way from home. How long have you been in Vermont?”

Jamie selected a vase that was as nondescript as both the man and his order and began arranging the flowers as quickly as she could. “Been here a couple months now, I suppose.”

The man gave a thoughtful hum and Jamie hoped the conversation was over, only to be let down a moment later when he started talking again.

“Well, it’s a great little shop. I’ve passed by it many times, but I really should have stopped in sooner.”

Jamie was certain that if she glanced over her shoulder, she would find his gaze drifting over her, checking her out. The thought caused her to furrow her brow as she continued to arrange the flowers.

“I haven’t seen you before though,” the man continued, “Usually when I pass by there’s a blonde girl behind the counter. Pretty girl. She must be new around here too.”

Jamie couldn’t help the small smile that formed at the mention of her partner. However, “pretty” was an understatement - Dani was gorgeous. “Dani. She usually handles the customer service side of things,” Jamie explained as she turned around and placed the completed arrangement in front of the man. “That’ll be 35 dollars.”

The customer pulled out his wallet and began counting out the bills. “Two good-looking women running this place. I’m sure you get plenty of business – if only just from the guys lining up to buy flowers to ask you out.” He chuckled at his own joke as he held out the money for his purchase.

The mildly demeaning comment and the lecherous smile it was delivered with made Jamie’s skin crawl. She took the money, making sure to avoid any physical contact, and nudged the vase closer to the man to give him the hint to leave. “Happy Anniversary,” she said with a pointed tone and insincere smile.

The customer seemed to finally pick up on the underlying contempt in Jamie’s demeanor as he took the vase and exited the shop without another word.

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief to be alone once again and turned around to clean up from the recent arrangement.

“Y’know, if you keep scaring away customers, we might be out of business by the end of the season.”

“Jesus!” Jamie’s heart rate spiked at the unexpected comment and she turned to find Dani watching her from the doorway of the backroom with an amused smile. “How long have you been standing there, you knob?”

“Long enough to see you smile to yourself when that guy said I was pretty,” Dani said as she pushed away from the doorway and made her way closer to Jamie. “Underneath all that snark you’re such a softie.”

Jamie couldn’t help but return Dani’s smile as she approached. “Yeah, well, fortunately you’re the only one who sees it. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of convincing everyone else I’m just an arsehole foreigner,” she nodded in the direction of the front door to indicate the customer who had left in a huff.

“As much as I do enjoy when you’re an ass to those who are deserving, I think the mysterious Brit who stays behind-the-scenes and doesn’t scare off every customer who checks her out is better for business.” Dani smirked as she stepped behind the counter, placing herself in front of Jamie who had long since forgotten about cleaning up the stems and ribbon on the counter behind her. 

“So, he was checking me out, then?” Jamie asked the first-hand witness she’d unknowingly had.

“Oh yeah,” Dani confirmed with an enthusiastic nod, “Not that I can blame him…I check you out every chance I get.”

Jamie’s smirk turned into a grin as she caught the lustful look in Dani’s eye. “I think we’re just about done for the day. What d’you say we head home and you can ‘check me out’ all you want.” Without waiting for a response, Jamie made her way towards the front of the shop to lock up. 

“We could head home,” Dani agreed, “Or…”

Jamie flipped the sign to ‘Closed’ and turned around to see the flirtatious smile on Dani’s face as she glanced in the direction of the back room.

“I like the way you think, Poppins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will feature Dani, a man with a crush, and a thoroughly amused Jamie. 
> 
> Feel free to comment if there are any interactions at The Leafling you'd like to see. I may just be inspired to write a oneshot around it.


	2. The Crush

“Hi, welcome to The Leafling,” Dani greeted the customer who had just walked in to the shop with a warm smile and her best customer service voice.

“Hi,” the man returned the greeting with a friendly, though somewhat nervous, smile. 

Dani resisted the urge to ask if he needed any help. The Midwesterner in her wanted to be overly friendly and accommodating with customers, something Jamie teased her about, but she’d quickly learned that people in New England appreciated their space more than Midwesterners, so Dani did her best to adapt. She was still friendly and kind, but tried not to ‘harass customers’, as Jamie put it, trusting them to ask for help if they needed it. 

The man was a little younger than most of the male customers who visited the shop, usually buying flowers for their wives. Dani guessed he was either in his late 20’s or early 30’s, just about the same age as her. One of her small joys during the day was observing customers and trying to figure out what brought them into the shop. Sometimes she was right, other times not. On many occasions, she never had the chance to find out if she was right or wrong as customers would simply select one of the arrangements and leave without revealing whom the flowers were for. 

The man wandered idly around the shop for a moment before he ended up at the counter. “I was hoping you could help me pick out some flowers,” he said, seeming almost shy as he made eye contact with Dani.

“That’s why I’m here,” Dani joked with a kind smile, hoping to help make the timid man feel more at ease. 

He laughed and nodded his head, appearing to relax slightly. “I want to get some flowers for my mom’s birthday, but I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know a thing about flowers.”

Dani smiled at the sweet request, “Hey, I’m still trying to figure out this whole flower thing too. But I think we can help you put together a pretty great bouquet for your mom. Do you have any requests for a certain type of flower or a color scheme?”

“Not really,” the man admitted, “But I’m sure you have great taste in flowers. We could just go with whatever your favorite flower is and I’m sure my mom will love it.”

While Dani was flattered this stranger seemed to already hold her opinion in such high regard, she wanted to help him create something his mother would really love. “That might be kinda hard to do, my favorite flower is really rare…it only blooms once a year and we don’t have any in stock.” A smile crossed her face as she thought about moonflowers and the first time she was introduced to them. The memory of that night more than the actual flower had led to her adopting it as her favorite. “What kind of flowers does your mom like?”

The man rubbed the back of his neck and glanced around the shop, “Uh, I know she has a favorite flower…she used to plant them in our backyard when I was growing up. But I can’t remember what they’re called. Maybe I can describe it?”

“Absolutely, hold on a second though; this sounds like a job for the plant expert,” Dani explained before the man could start in on his description. “Hey Jamie?” She called out towards the backroom.

A moment later the familiar presence that never failed to elicit a smile from Dani emerged. “You called?”

Dani nodded, her heart rate picking up the way it always did when Jamie fixed her with that alluring smirk. She quickly gathered her thoughts, knowing it was not the time or place to be distracted by thoughts of her girlfriend. “Yeah, I was hoping you could help us identify a flower? Mr…um,” she turned and looked at the man, realizing she hadn’t gotten his name. 

“You can just call me Eric,” he replied quickly.

Dani nodded and flashed him a smile before returning her attention to Jamie, who was still standing by the back room. “Eric wants to put together a bouquet for his mom’s birthday and he’s having some trouble remembering the name of her favorite flower.”

“Alright,” Jamie nodded as she leaned back against the doorjamb. “What’s this mysterious flower look like?”

“Well, it…has these petals, and it kinda looks like a star,” Eric said as he began gesturing to try to demonstrate the shape of the flower. “And it has these parts that stick up in the middle.”

Even Dani could tell the man was describing a lily, but she watched as Jamie furrowed her brow in confusion.

“I’m sorry, I’m not quite sure I know which flower you’re referring to. Maybe try drawing it?” Jamie offered as she glanced over at Dani in a silent request to get him something to draw with.

Dani knew her girlfriend was taking the piss out of the man, but she wasn’t going to spoil her harmless fun so she grabbed a pen and a blank scrap of paper to hand to Eric.

“Thanks,” Eric said with a small smile as he bowed his head and began to draw.

Jamie held Dani’s gaze with a playful smirk as she wandered closer to the pair and rested her arms on the counter, leaning forward so she could see past Eric’s slightly hunched form as he focused on his drawing.

“And then there are these long things in the center,” he narrated as he drew the filaments and anthers coming out of the middle of the flower, “I’m not the best drawer, but hopefully this helps.”

Jamie glanced up at Dani, who had drawn her lower lip between her teeth to try to stop herself from laughing at her girlfriend’s antics and Eric’s ridiculous drawing. Dani took a moment to compose herself and released her lip from between her teeth as she gave Jamie a look to take pity on the guy. Eric finished the drawing and glanced up hopefully, his gaze darting between the two women.

“It’s hard to tell,” Jamie said as she looked over the truly awful drawing, “But I think you may be looking for lilies.”

“Lilies! Yes, that’s it!” Eric replied excitedly. “She always planted a bunch in our yard. Do you have any?”

“We do,” Jamie confirmed with a nod, “It’s a little early in the season for most types, but the Asiatic lilies are already in bloom and we have a few different varieties. Any specific requests?”

Eric shook his head, “No, not at all. You’re the one who know flowers. Any type of lily will be fine…and any other flowers you think will go well in the bouquet.”

“I’ll get to it then,” Jamie said with a satisfied nod as she headed to the back room. 

Dani watched her go with a smile before turning back to Eric, “You just made her whole day. Not many customers who place orders give her free rein like that.”

“Really?” Eric asked as he glanced in the direction Jamie had wandered off before looking back at Dani, “She didn’t seem all that happy when she left.”

Dani let out a soft chuckle at the assessment, “She’s English, sometimes she’s not so great at outwardly showing her emotions. But trust me, she’s happy as a clam back there and you’re gonna get a really great bouquet for your mom.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Eric said as he glanced around the store again. “Everything in this place looks amazing.”

“Jamie gets all the credit for the flowers,” Dani said as she proudly swept her gaze over the floral arrangements displayed around the shop. “I just sell them and handle the business side of things.”

“That’s pretty impressive too,” Eric commented, earning a look of disbelief from Dani who knew her part of the job was hardly impressive compared to Jamie’s work, but she enjoyed it and was good at it. Eric seemed to realize he wouldn’t be able to convince her, so he switched topics. “This place is pretty new, right?”

Dani nodded, “We opened a few months ago. Right before the Valentine’s Day rush, which was good planning on our part. Things haven’t been quite as busy since then, but we’ve had a pretty steady supply of customers, which has been nice.”

“Yeah, there always seems to be someone in here when I pass by,” Eric commented, “I’ve been wanting to stop in, but haven’t had a reason to until now.”

Dani noticed that Eric seemed nervous again. It was certainly unusual for a man of his age to have been wanting to ‘stop in’ to a flower shop and she had a feeling she knew why, but didn’t dwell on it. “Well, we’re glad you decided to stop in. A lot of people get their flowers at the grocery store because it’s easy, but those just don’t compare to the types of arrangements Jamie is able to put together.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure it’s going to be great. I’m really glad I decided to come here rather than just go with my usual of getting her a card for her birthday.”

Dani’s expression reflected her disapproval of the man's comment before she let out a laugh, “Not good with the whole gift thing, I guess?”

Eric laughed as well and shook his head, “Yeah, I’m pretty bad. My ex-girlfriend once said I was the worst gift giver in the world. That one will stick with you, so I’ve been trying to get better at it. I want to make sure I do things right with my next girlfriend.”

Dani didn’t miss the look Eric gave her as he finished his statement, but she pointedly ignored it and tried to busy herself with putting away the pen and paper from his earlier attempt at drawing. “I think the flowers for your mom are a great start. A lot of people don’t realize flowers make a great gift all on their own, especially when there’s thought put into the arrangement.”

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Eric enthused, “Anytime someone wants a gift idea, I’m sending them here.”

Dani gave him a small smile, touched by the offer and appreciating the vote of confidence in their business – even if he hadn’t even received his own order yet. 

“As requested, one bouquet with lilies for your mum,” Jamie announced as she emerged from the back room with a colorful bouquet in a vase. 

“Wow, that looks amazing,” Eric said as Jamie placed the vase on the counter. “My mom’s going to love this so much.”

“That’s the hope,” Jamie replied, the proud smile on her face revealing her appreciation for the compliment. 

By the time he finished admiring the arrangement, Dani already had the receipt written out. She felt a little guilty at the large tip he included when he told them to keep the change from the bills he handed over to pay for it, but she wasn’t about to argue either. 

“Thank you again,” he said as he lifted the vase and glanced from Jamie back to Dani. “I’ll definitely be stopping by again. You do great work.”

“Thank you, we’re glad you like it. Have a good day, Eric,” Dani replied, hoping he would get the hint to make his exit. 

Fortunately, he didn’t prolong the small talk any further and simply smiled and waved before heading towards the door, waving again as he passed by the front window. 

“I think someone’s got a fan,” Jamie observed with a grin as she looked over at Dani who dropped her head in her hands, elbows resting on the counter.

“I know. I thought he was just being nice at first,” Dani said with a groan.

“Well, he was being nice,” Jamie pointed out, “It just took you a bit to figure out why.”

“Oh, so you figured it out right away then?” Dani challenged as she lifted her head to quirk an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Come on, he was blushing like a schoolboy with a crush every time he looked at you,” Jamie commented with a laugh. “It would be sweet if I didn’t feel so bad for him. Poor boy has no clue that he doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Because I’m taken?” Dani asked, a smile playing on her lips as she looked affectionately at Jamie.

“I was gonna say because you’re not interested in his type, but yeah, I guess he’s doubly out of luck,” Jamie replied, glancing out the window to make sure the coast was clear before leaning in to steal a quick kiss. 

Dani let out a content hum as Jamie pulled away. She would have preferred a much longer kiss, but she knew they couldn’t risk getting caught up in the moment. 

“Five quid says he’ll be back before the end of the week,” Jamie wagered as she pushed away from the counter with an impish grin. 

“I’d take you up on that, but I’m worried you might be right,” Dani replied with an exaggerated sigh, prompting Jamie to let out a laugh as she disappeared into the back room.


	3. Centerpieces and Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by a prompt/idea left in a comment by ClomWrites. Thanks for the idea and I hope you enjoy how it turned out! 
> 
> Feel free to leave suggestions for things you'd like to see in future chapters. I can't promise I'll include every idea, but I'll do my best to do something with it.
> 
> This chapter is the longest yet, it kind of got away from me. I hope you all enjoy it, I had a lot of fun writing it. Happy Halloween! (It's still Halloween for another hour here, so I'm counting it!)

Jamie glanced over the slips of paper scattered across the desk, each containing a different customer order. She began to arrange them based on when the orders needed to be ready by and how much time each would require. 

One order in particular caught her eye and she glanced over it again to make sure she hadn’t misread it. It was a big order. Not the biggest they’d ever had, but one that would certainly pull in a lot of money for the shop. It seemed to be for some sort of party, perhaps a wedding, as the request was for small bouquets to be used as centerpieces for tables. 

“Hey babe.”

Jamie glanced up to see Dani leaning against the door to the back room, a mug clasped in her hands as she smiled softly at her girlfriend.

“Bored already?” Jamie teased. They’d only been open for ten minutes and Dani was already straying from her usual spot behind the counter to check in on her. 

Dani shrugged, but the look on her face indicated that Jamie was spot on. 

“What do you have there?” Jamie asked as Dani took a sip from her mug in order to avoid having to confirm that she was, in fact, already bored. 

“Tea,” Dani said as she held out the mug, “Do you want some?”

Jamie gave her a knowing smirk and shook her head, “I’m alright, I already suffered through one cup this morning because I didn’t beat you to the kitchen.”

“Hey, I’ve gotten a lot better,” Dani protested, though the smile on her face indicated that she wasn’t actually upset. “You even said as much the other day,” she reminded her girlfriend with a proud smile.

“Did I?” Jamie questioned, getting a firm nod from Dani in reply. “Was it right before or after sex? Because you really can’t hold me to anything I say when I’m blinded by lust.”

Dani laughed and playfully swatted at Jamie with her hand, but the other woman was quick to dodge, catching her hand and gently tugging her closer.

“So, does that mean I should ignore when you say ‘I love you’ or sappy romantic stuff when you’re consumed by lust?” Dani challenged as she entwined her fingers with Jamie’s.

“No…that I’ll always mean,” Jamie promised as she pulled Dani closer for a kiss. The moment was interrupted by the jingle of the bell over the door indicating they had a customer. 

Dani pulled back with a sigh, stealing another quick kiss before heading out to the front of the shop. 

Jamie’s smile lingered as she heard her girlfriend greeting the customer in her typical, cheerful manner. She knew the years of working as a teacher had made Dani excellent at masking her frustration with a kind smile.

She returned her attention to the orders, selecting a relatively simple one that had to be completed by the end of the day. It wouldn’t take long to complete, but it was a good way to start the day and check something off her to-do list. 

Jamie quickly lost herself in her favorite part of the job – selecting flowers and carefully arranging them, moving and shifting and replacing them, until the bouquet came alive and she was satisfied with the arrangement. She was adding the finishing touch, a ribbon wrapped around the neck of the vase, when Dani’s voice cut through her peaceful concentration.

“That looks really beautiful.”

Jamie glanced over in surprise. She’d been unaware she had company, but from the way Dani was leaning casually against the desk, Jamie figured she’d been there a while.

“I think the customer will be happy with it at least,” Jamie agreed as she straightened the ribbon before carrying the bouquet over to the refrigerator in the back where they kept the orders waiting to be picked up. “How’s business out front today?”

“Slow, but not too bad. We’ve had a couple people stop in to pick up some bouquets and one person placed an order for an upcoming event,” Dani summarized as she held up the slip with the order.

Jamie made her way over to Dani and looked at the paper before placing it toward the end of her lineup of orders waiting to be filled; it wasn’t a priority since the order wasn’t needed for a few more weeks. 

“Speaking of orders, what’s this one about?” Jamie asked as she handed Dani the slip that had caught her eye earlier that morning. “I think this alone will cover next month’s rent.”

Dani looked at the paper and nodded, “Oh yeah, some woman called in yesterday afternoon. She wants a bunch of centerpieces for her dad’s retirement party. It seems like a big event and she sounded pretty stressed out. She repeated everything, like, three times as if she was afraid I wouldn’t get it right.”

“Well, she sounds like a delight,” Jamie muttered as she looked at the paper again, noticing how detailed the instructions were, “And she needs it by tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I guess they were going to do something else for centerpieces but that plan fell through. That probably explains why she seemed so stressed,” Dani said with a shrug. “Do you think it’s too big of an order to get done in time? I can always close the front of the shop and help out back here if you need me to.”

Jamie smiled at her girlfriend’s offer and shook her head, “Nah, I should be able to handle it, but thanks for offering.”

The phone behind the counter began to ring, prompting Dani to push away from the desk and drop a quick kiss to Jamie’s lips before disappearing from the back room. 

Jamie began going through the orders on her desk to make a list of all the flowers they didn’t have in stock that she’d need to pick up from the flower market. She glanced at the clock, it was still early enough in the day that she might luck out and find everything she needed. 

She ducked her head out from the back office to see that Dani was off the phone, but a customer was perusing the store. “I’m off to the flower market, I’ll bring us something for lunch on the way back.”

Dani looked up with a smile and nodded before turning her attention to the customer who was asking her about one of the floral arrangements on display.

Jamie ducked out the back of the shop and headed for her truck. The trip to the flower shop proved to be fruitful and Jamie was on her way back to the shop a little over an hour later. She carefully unloaded the new purchases and put them in the back room before grabbing the bag of food she’d picked up for lunch and heading out to the front of the store. 

She found her girlfriend on the phone, jotting down notes and looking mildly stressed. Not wanting to interrupt, Jamie quietly placed the sandwich and drink on the counter and got a grateful smile from Dani in return. 

Jamie winked at the blonde before turning to head into the back room. She began prepping for the big order for the retirement party while she ate her lunch, doing her best to multitask to make up for the limited time she had to complete the order.

“Hey, so that was Ms. Walters on the phone, the woman who placed that order for her dad’s retirement party,” Dani explained as she walked into the back room. “She wanted to know if we could replace the white chrysanthemums with white daisies instead. She thinks it will look better with the other flowers she requested in the centerpieces. I told her that was fine because I didn’t think you had started yet, but I probably should have checked with you first.”

Jamie ran a hand through her hair as she heard the request, slightly irritated because she’d just picked up bunch of white chrysanthemums at the flower market specifically for this order. However, Dani’s adorably furrowed brow as she expressed her concern for not checking with her helped to ease her irritation. “It’s fine, Poppins. We have a ton of daisies in the back already, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good,” Dani sighed in relief as she walked closer and leaned in to kiss her girlfriend. “Thank you for lunch, by the way.”

Jamie smiled against Dani’s lips and slipped a hand into her hair as she kissed her again, a longer and deeper kiss than the first. The feel of Dani’s hands sliding slowly to her lower back to pull her closer sent a shiver up Jamie’s spine, but she did her best not to get too wrapped up in the moment. 

“I really should be starting that order if we want to get it done in time so we can get paid tomorrow,” Jamie said as she reluctantly leaned away from Dani.

A small pout formed on Dani’s lips and she let out a sigh, “I suppose that would be the responsible thing to do,” she agreed. “Do you need any help?”

Jamie shook her head as she stepped back to create some space and to help firm up her resolve to get to work. “I should be alright. You can get back to dealing with all the whiny nuisances at the front of the shop.”

“Tell me how you really feel about our customers,” Dani teased as she shared an amused grin with Jamie before turning to head to the front of the store.

Once Dani was gone, Jamie took a deep breath and glanced around at the cluttered work bench where she’d already started the initial stages of preparing the order. She set about moving the chrysanthemums to the refrigerated storage room and brought back a bucket of white daisies. After reviewing the detailed order slip, she began creating the arrangements. 

Nearly an hour had passed and she was halfway done with the centerpieces. She was feeling quite pleased with how much she’d already accomplished when Dani stepped into the back room. 

“Hey Jamie, how far along are you with that order?”

The cautious tone Dani was using immediately alerted Jamie that she was about to hear something she wouldn’t like. “About halfway, why?” She turned and leaned against the work bench, crossing her arms over her chest in preparation for whatever wrench was about to be thrown into the works.

“Ms. Walters called again. She just stopped by the venue for tomorrow and said the vases she requested apparently don’t match the décor at all…she wants us to switch to square ones.”

Jamie felt a wave of irritation rush through her at the dumb request, but she inhaled deeply through her nose in an effort to remain calm. “And what did you tell her?”

“I told her I’d have to check with you first and that I’d call her back,” Dani explained. 

Jamie couldn’t help but smile at how Dani had wanted to check with her in advance this time before just agreeing to a request to appease a demanding customer. The simple gesture of respect from Dani eased the frustration she felt towards their fickle client. 

“Do you think it’s possible to change or should I tell her it’s too late? She did offer to add 10 percent to the total cost if we’re able to change the vases.”

Jamie considered the offer and looked at the half of the order she’d already completed. It was frustrating to think about re-doing what had already been so beautifully arranged, especially when she was on a time crunch. However, it wasn’t an impossible request, and if she managed to carefully switch the completed orders to new vases, it may not be all that time consuming. 

“If we have enough of the square vases in back, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, Jamie. She’ll be so excited. I swear, she’s the most uptight woman I’ve ever met,” Dani said with a roll of her eyes before heading towards the storage room to determine if they had enough of the requested vases.

Jamie watched her go before turning back to the bench with a sigh. Once Dani confirmed they did have enough square vases and brought them all out, Jamie began the painstaking process of switching the completed centerpieces to the new containers. 

Dani initially stayed to help, but was quickly drawn back to manage the front of the shop when the bell over the door alerted them that another customer had just walked in. Fortunately, Jamie was able to switch most of the completed ones with little trouble and only had to completely rearrange a couple that just hadn’t transferred properly. Once that was finished, she returned her attention to creating the other half of the order.

“Hey Jamie…”

Jamie glanced over to see an expression that could best be described as wary on Dani’s face. 

“Don’t tell me that woman has called again,” Jamie said as she gave her an incredulous look.

Dani quickly shut the door to the back room. “She’s still on the phone, I just put the receiver down. She only wants to know if she can switch the ribbons from yellow to blue.”

The ribbons were the final step to complete the centerpiece and Jamie was only three quarters of the way through making the arrangements; she hadn’t even thought about the ribbons yet. It was an easy enough request, but she was past the point of being patient with the customer’s constant changes.

“Technically we could do that, but I think we’ve been enabling her far too long. If we keep saying yes, she’s going to continue calling and asking us to switch things around and I’ll be working all through the night on these bloody centerpieces.”

“I know, I know,” Dani agreed in a hushed tone, as if worried the woman on the phone in the other room would be able to hear her through the closed door. “But she just seems so stressed and sad. I’ve been getting more and more insight into her each time she calls. She’s the middle of seven children and has never been trusted with anything like this before, so I guess she’s really trying to make sure it goes perfectly.”

“That’s not our problem,” Jamie pointed out, “And the centerpieces are going to be great no matter what little changes we make. I mean, do you really think square vases and blue ribbons are going to change the outcome of this stupid party? If it all goes perfectly or horribly, it won’t be because of our flowers.”

“You’re right,” Dani admitted with a nod. “And I’ll tell her she can’t ask us to make any more changes because otherwise they won’t be done in time for her to pick them up in the morning. But maybe…just because you haven’t done the ribbon yet, maybe we can go with blue instead of yellow?”

The hopeful expression on Dani’s face was enough to make Jamie cave. “Fine, but this is the last change I’m making and she better not call again.”

“Thank you!” Dani exclaimed with a grin, leaning in to place a series of quick kisses along Jamie’s cheek, lips, and jawline. 

“I hope she knows you’re the only reason I haven’t called her myself to tell her to fuck off,” Jamie said as she failed to keep a serious expression due to the onslaught of grateful kisses.

“I mean, I’m not gonna tell her that…but it’s good to know I have that effect on you,” Dani shot back with a wink before she scurried out of the room to give the good news to the woman on the phone. 

Jamie shook her head, although there was no frustration in the gesture. It was simply a reflection of her disbelief that this was her life now. If these petty problems were the worst thing she and Dani had to face together, well, she would deal with a nightmare customer like Ms. Walters every single day.

Two hours passed and Jamie was nearly finished with adding the ribbons to the centerpieces. A glance at the clock on the wall assured her she’d be able to complete the order and get everything into the refrigerator right around the time their typical workday ended and they closed up shop – an impressive feat in time management despite the numerous setbacks.

She’d heard the phone ring a few times while she’d been working on the order, and every time Jamie found herself tensing in anticipation of another request from Dani that never came. She wasn’t sure if it was other customers calling, or if her girlfriend had simply put her foot down and refused to accept any more changes. Whatever the reason, Jamie had appreciated the two hours of solid work time without interruption. 

The sound of the door softly closing grabbed Jamie’s attention and she turned to see Dani leaning against the now closed door to the back room. 

“Don’t tell me…” Jamie started as she tried to read Dani’s expression.

“No, don’t worry, she hasn’t called back,” Dani reassured her as she pushed away from the door. “It’s just been slow out front and I wanted to see if I could help back here.”

“I think I’m doing alright, actually,” Jamie said proudly as she glanced at the vases. “In fact, I’m nearly done.”

“That’s amazing, Jamie,” Dani enthused as she continued to move closer to the table to check out the centerpieces. “These look fantastic.”

Jamie smiled at the compliment. She had to admit they did end up looking quite nice, especially with some of the changes the customer had requested. She kept her focus on tying ribbons into bows around the vases, not wanting to lose her momentum when she was so close to finishing. The feel of hands gripping her waist startled her for a moment as she hadn’t realized Dani had moved behind her. The gentle grip was pleasant and brought a smile to her face, so she leaned back into her girlfriend’s embrace as she continued to work.

The hands at her waist shifted forward until arms wrapped around her midsection and Dani moved closer to eliminate any space between them. Jamie smiled softly, welcoming the bit of contact after working alone in the back room for so much of the day. She felt Dani begin to place kisses along her shoulder over the fabric of her shirt, which only made her smile grow even wider.

One of Dani’s hands left her waist but she didn’t have long to wonder where it had gone as she felt her hair being brushed aside and exposing one side of her neck.

“Dani…” she said in a quiet voice with a hint of warning as the other woman began trailing kisses along her neck. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Watching you work,” Dani answered, the hint of smugness in her voice making Jamie’s stomach clench. 

“Really?” Jamie questioned as Dani’s lips continued to move over her neck, ear, and jawline. “Because it seems like you’re trying to distract me from working.”

“It’s just a few more ribbons,” Dani protested as she made no attempt to stop kissing Jamie’s neck, “I can’t be that much of a distraction.”

Although she wanted to argue that last claim, Jamie knew she should be able to focus enough to tie a few more ribbons into bows. She drew a deep breath in through her nose to try and direct her attention away from the rush of sensations Dani was causing by trailing her soft lips across her skin. 

She managed to get a couple more ribbons tied before the unmistakable feel of teeth nipping at the sensitive skin of her neck sent a jolt of arousal through her. “Alright, now you’re just not playing fair, Poppins.”

“Who said I was trying to?” Dani retorted, her voice coming out in a whisper as she nipped at Jamie’s earlobe. 

Jamie gripped the edge of the workbench to try to get control over her suddenly very dirty thoughts. “I can’t believe you’re distracting me like this when we’re so close to being done. I’ve been dying to get this order finished for hours.”

“Do you want to finish that order more than you want me?” Dani asked, her voice low and her tone teasing.

Jamie turned in Dani’s arms to give her an incredulous look. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but it’s nearly as annoying as it is hot.”

A satisfied smirk formed on Dani’s lips, clearly pleased with her distraction tactics. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Because it was a dumb question.”

“There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.”

“Spoken like a true teacher,” Jamie retorted with a chuckle. “You know I was at my wit’s end with this order hours ago and I would have happily tossed the whole thing in the bin after the request to change vases just to be done with it. So no, I could never care near enough about this order to want to finish it more than I want to give in to your distractions.”

Dani grinned and began to lean in for a proper kiss when Jamie stopped her with a finger to her lips. “That being said, you have a choice. You can celebrate your success at being the most irritating and irresistible distraction and we could have some fun, knowing we still have to finish the order and close up the shop when we’re done. Or you could let me finish up and put these damn centerpieces away while you close up the front of the shop and then we get to go home, completely done for the day, and take all the time in the world.”

“Or…” Dani countered as she placed a kiss to the finger keeping her at bay before she reached up to pull Jamie’s hand down so she could lean closer, her lips brushing against her girlfriend’s. “We could do both.”

“Both?” Jamie questioned, her brain struggling to figure out how both could be an option while being increasingly distracted by the soft kisses Dani was tempting her with.

“You could let me distract you and we could have some fun before we finish the centerpieces…and then afterward we can go home and really take our time celebrating being done with such a long day.” Dani’s voice was soft as she explained her proposal, her lips travelling along Jamie’s jawline while the other woman considered the offer.

With how worked up she was getting, Jamie had no idea why she ever tried to keep Dani from distracting her in the first place. True, she wanted to finish the order that had been a pain in her arse all day, but she realized there was no rush. Regardless of whether they wound up working a little later here, or if they rushed to finish up and head home, she would be with Dani, and that’s all that mattered. 

A small smile formed on her face as she wrapped her arms around Dani’s waist and pulled her close, “Alright, Poppins. You win this time.”


	4. Our Little Corner of the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a couple of requests to see more of Dani and Jamie building a community in their new home. Hopefully this delivers! If it doesn't, let me know what you want to see and I'll do my best.

Dani and Jamie lived in Vermont for nearly a year before they finally started breaking out of their little two-person bubble to meet their neighbors. Whereas the first year had been spent trying to get their business off the ground and trying to spend every possible moment together, never quite sure when the Lady of the Lake would come to claim Dani. But when a year in Vermont had gone by, nearly a year and a half since they’d left Bly, it felt like it was time to extend their roots further into their new little community. 

The first friendship they made, though perhaps not what they expected, came in the form of the elderly couple who ran the coffee shop across the street. Stuart was in charge of making the beverages while his wife Doris was often busy in the back of the shop baking treats for customers. 

The couple took to Jamie and Dani quickly, claiming that Dani’s sweet smile and kind-hearted demeanor reminded them of their daughter, Sarah. Meanwhile, Jamie’s dry humor and aloofness reminded the couple of their son-in-law, Bradley. The comparison was a source of great amusement to Dani and Jamie as no one in town knew they were a couple, yet here they were being compared to a married couple by a sweet, elderly woman and her husband.

They started visiting the coffee shop more and more frequently, exchanging stories about their time together in England for stories of Stuart and Doris’s adventures together over the years. Jamie taught Stuart how to make tea the proper way, with Dani carefully observing from afar, still trying to pick up pointers after all this time. A week later, Jamie noticed a new addition to the chalkboard menu: ‘Jamie’s Brew – a proper English cup of tea’.

Doris would give the two women recipes for the treats they most enjoyed ordering from the shop. Sometimes Dani would attempt to make them, Jamie was never as daring, but they never turned out nearly as good. More often than not, they would send the recipes to Owen, with Doris’s permission, so he could at least enjoy the treats as they deserved to be made.

When Owen ended up adding one of the recipes to his dessert menu – Doris’s ‘Pear’fect Tart – Dani and Jamie eagerly hurried across the street to show Doris and Stuart the copy of the menu and photo of Owen with the tart that he had sent them with his most recent letter. A few days later, the menu and picture were framed on the wall of the coffee shop underneath a little painting of the Eiffel Tower. 

The next friend that Dani and Jamie made, perhaps another unlikely friend, was a single mom named Paula. They met Paula one day when she came into their shop for a bouquet of flowers to bring to her mother who was in the hospital. The rather simple task had been complicated by Paula’s two young children eagerly running around the shop while their frazzled mother did their best to control them. 

Seeing the woman’s state of distress prompted Dani to offer to look after the woman’s children while she went to the hospital to visit her mother. Paula’s look of shock had matched Jamie’s, only the latter recovered much quicker because she knew her girlfriend was good with kids and often missed being a teacher. After Dani explained her previous work experience of being a teacher and an au pair, Paula quickly warmed to the idea and gratefully accepted the help.

Jamie was less than pleased to be roped into babysitting duty on what she’d hoped to be a quiet night in with a book; however, given the choice between being alone in the apartment and being at a stranger’s house with two small children and Dani, she would always choose whichever option afforded her more time with Dani. 

The babysitting gigs became semi-regular as the children quickly warmed to Dani, and a little more slowly to Jamie. Overtime, a friendship developed between Paula and the couple. Paula would invite them over for dinner and they’d take turns entertaining the kids while having a drink and sharing stories. 

Through Stuart, Doris, and Paula, they were introduced to various other townspeople and started to develop a stronger sense of community in their small Vermont town. However, both Dani and Jamie felt disconnected in the sense that they were closeted. Their state was very liberal, but they both knew that accepting homosexuality in the abstract sense was very different from accepting it when it came to people you actually knew. And the thought of losing the friendship of the neighbors they had just started getting to know was enough to keep up the charade of being business partners, friends, and roommates – nothing more. 

As far as they knew, they were the only queer people in town…until one day when they were introduced to a whole different side to their community.

That Thursday started out like any other. Jamie woke up with the sun in order to get an early start to her day so she could take care of the errands she knew Dani loathed, like going to the bank. She left a note on the counter like she always did whenever she left before Dani woke up, and then she headed out for the morning. 

As much as she wanted a cup of tea to start her day, she passed by Stuart and Doris’s coffee shop, knowing it would be better to stop in on her way back so she could get something for Dani too and have it still be hot by the time she arrived back at their flat. 

Jamie stopped by the post office before heading to the bank. She glanced at the time as she left the quaint brick bank and realized the record store around the corner would just be opening up for the day. Deciding she deserved a little reward after taking care of the errands for the day, Jamie headed over to check out the new records.

“Good morning,” the store clerk greeted as she walked in, prompting Jamie to return the greeting with a smile and nod. Seeing as it was quite early in the day, she was the only customer in the shop, but she welcomed having the place to herself as she strolled along the aisles.

This was the third time Jamie had been in the quirky little record store, and for the third time she mentally reminded herself that she needed to bring Dani with her one of these days. She knew her girlfriend would be as enamored by the store and its music selection as she was. 

After taking her time sorting the albums that caught her attention into ones she wanted and ones she absolutely needed to have, she examined the ones that fell into the latter category and limited herself to only two. Following much contemplation, Jamie selected an album by The Smiths for herself and a Fleetwood Mac album she knew they didn’t yet have in their collection for Dani. 

Jamie headed towards the counter with a smile on her face, already anticipating Dani’s excitement over the surprise gift. 

“You have good taste in music,” the woman working the register commented as she rang up the albums.

“Thanks,” Jamie replied, the smile on her face widening at the compliment. “You have a great selection here. It makes it difficult to choose.”

“Tell me about it,” the woman replied with a playful eye roll, “It’s hard doing inventory because I just want to take everything home with me. It’s a good thing I get a store discount working here otherwise I would be broke – well more broke than I already am.”

Jamie chuckled at the joke. It reminded her of her days running around the streets of London when it was a constant struggle not to spend what little she had on her vices, and many days the temptation to buy cigarettes, liquor, or concert tickets won out over her practical side. She was just grateful she’d eventually matured a bit and decided having a steady job and stable little life was more important than the endless pursuit of fun and avoidance of responsibility. The search for a steady job had led her to Bly, and a few years later, her stable little life had been turned on its head by Dani. 

“I’ve seen you in here before,” the woman commented, effectively drawing Jamie’s attention from her thoughts. 

“Oh yeah?” Jamie replied, before giving a little nod. “I’ve come in a few times before, it’s a great shop.”

“So, do you live nearby then?” The woman continued.

“A little ways up the street,” Jamie answered as she watched the woman taking her time bagging the records. 

“Really? I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around town before. Have you lived here long?”

Jamie tried not to be exasperated at how long this conversation had dragged on. Dani was constantly reminding her that she needed to be better at making small talk now that she was living in America.

“Moved here about a year and a half ago,” Jamie replied in what she hoped was a friendly, conversational tone.

“From England?” The woman pressed with an eager smile.

“Yeah,” Jamie nodded, feeling her smile start to slip as the woman continued to pry for personal information. 

Fortunately, the woman took a break from questions to give Jamie the total and then make change out of the bills Jamie handed over. As she returned the change, her fingers lingered over the palm of Jamie’s hand. 

“I’m Nicole, by the way,” the woman introduced herself with a smile.

“Jamie,” she returned the introduction as she quickly withdrew her hand and pocketed the change.

“Nice to meet you Jamie,” Nicole said with a grin. Her gaze flitted over Jamie, as if trying to figure something out before she leaned forward on the counter, resting on her forearms. “Would you want to get dinner sometime?”

Jamie’s eyebrows shot up at the question that was asked so boldly without any sense of hesitation or nerves. “Are you asking me on a date?”

Nicole smirked and gave a little shrug, “It could be whatever you want, but I’m kinda hoping it would be a date.”

The confidence of the other woman took Jamie by surprise and she couldn’t help but think back to how nervous she and Dani were around each other when they were first getting to know one another at Bly, both of them trying to figure out if the other was interested. She tried to picture having the same level of confidence that Nicole was displaying…simply walking up to Dani that first day and asking if she wanted to go for dinner or get a drink at the local pub.

Jamie shook her head to clear her head as she realized Nicole was still waiting for an answer. “Thank you, I’m flattered…but I have a girlfriend.”

“Really?” Nicole asked in surprise. “I mean, I’m glad I wasn’t completely off base with my assumption you might be into women,” she added a flirty wink which caught Jamie off guard. “But now I’m wondering how there are two lesbians in town I didn’t know about. Is your girlfriend new here too?”

Jamie was slightly uncomfortable with the flirtatious way Nicole continued to address her, but she didn’t want to be rude since this was her favorite store and she didn’t want to burn any bridges that would prevent her from shopping here again. “Yeah, we moved here together.”

Nicole let out a hum as she processed that information. “Well, as I’m sure you’ve already noticed, the queer community around here is pretty small and we keep to ourselves mostly. But we do have a book club that gets together every so often; mostly just as an excuse to read and do something other than go to a bar and get wasted – which we also do on occasion. Reading seems like a slightly more productive use of our time and a way to bring in new queer literature when we come across it. You should come by some time…your girlfriend too. We’re meeting tonight actually. It’s a little bookstore the next town over, I can give you the address.”

Jamie considered the offer, but she knew right away it would make Dani so happy to have a queer community they could connect with. People they could be themselves around. “That would be great, yeah.”

Nicole smiled and nodded as she grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled down the name of the bookstore, the address, and meeting time and then some basic driving directions on how to get there.

“Thanks,” Jamie said as she accepted the paper and glanced down. She noticed Nicole had written three phone numbers at the bottom of the paper. 

“In case you have any questions,” Nicole said as she saw Jamie staring at the numbers. “I’ll be at work until 5, that’s the top number, I’ll be at my place until about 6:30, that’s the middle number, and then I’ll get to the bookstore a little before 7 to help set up, so feel free to call if you need better directions, or anything at all really.”

“Right…thanks,” Jamie said with a nod. “I’ll uh, see you tonight then. With Dani, my girlfriend.”

Nicole’s smile slipped a little at the mention of her girlfriend but then it was back in place as she waved to Jamie as she exited the store.

Jamie slipped the paper into the bag of records as she hurried towards the truck. The encounter had been odd to say the least and more than a little uncomfortable at parts. But mostly, Jamie was looking forward to meeting a group of people who would accept her and Dani. Someplace they could hold hands, maybe even kiss without a second glance. 

A smile remained on Jamie’s face as she drove back towards their flat, stopping to pick up breakfast from Stuart and Doris’s shop on the way. 

“Good morning, love,” Jamie greeted as she walked into the apartment, her gaze immediately settling on a barely-awake Dani stumbling around the kitchen trying to make a pot of tea.

“Morning,” Dani replied with a sleepy smile. “Did the errands go okay?”

“That they did,” Jamie answered as she moved further into the apartment. She set the bag of pastries on the counter before handing a to-go cup of coffee to Dani. “Save us both the trouble,” Jamie said as she nodded towards the kettle in the blonde’s hand.

Dani laughed as she emptied the water from the kettle and set it back in its usual place on the stove. “What’s that?” 

Jamie followed Dani’s gaze to the bag in her hand. “Oh yeah, I stopped in that little record store near the bank. Got us a couple new albums to add to the collection.”

As predicted, Dani’s eyes lit up when she saw the Fleetwood Mac album. “Well, this is turning out to be an amazing morning,” she said as she moved closer to Jamie.

Jamie returned her smile, her hands automatically moving up to wrap around Dani’s waist as her girlfriend stepped into her space. “You like it?”

“Love it,” Dani murmured, her lips grazing against Jamie’s before she closed the distance for a proper kiss.

Jamie lost herself in the kiss for a moment before she pulled back, remembering the other surprise for the day.

“There’s more,” she said as she reached into the bag to pull out the piece of paper from Nicole. “Apparently, there’s some queer book club at a shop the next town over. They’re meeting tonight and we’ve been invited to attend.”

“Really?” Dani gasped in surprise as she pulled back to grab the paper and give it a proper once over. “How did you find out about this?”

“Funny story actually,” Jamie said as she brought a hand up to rub at the back of her neck, an old nervous tic though she knew she didn’t really need to be worried about anything. “The woman who works at the record store asked me on a date…obviously I turned her down and told her I have a girlfriend. And then she mentioned this book club or whatever and said we should come by.”

Dani was watching her with an amused smile, “So that’s why you like doing these Thursday morning errands so much.”

Jamie laughed and shook her head, “Trust me, I had no idea she was gay. I’ve been in the shop a couple times but have hardly spoken to her. Then today I couldn’t get her to stop talking – it was more than a little annoying, if I’m being honest.”

“What? You disliking small talk? Never,” Dani said with a laugh. “How did she take it when you had to break the news you weren’t single?”

“Didn’t seem to affect her too much, she was still a bit of a flirt. She even gave me three numbers to reach her if I ‘had questions’,” Jamie said as she gestured towards the paper. “But I know as soon as she gets a look at you tonight she’ll realize she doesn’t stand a chance and she’ll give it up.”

A grin spread across Dani’s face at the compliment and she set the paper on the counter before leaning in for a kiss. 

“I’m serious, Poppins,” Jamie said as her hands came up once more to rest on Dani’s hips. “In fact, as soon as she sees you, she’ll forget all about me and try to get with you.”

“Well, she can try, but it won’t work. I’m very happy,” Dani said as she placed a series of kisses along Jamie’s jawline before moving them lower, leaving a trail that burned along Jamie’s neck. Dani’s hands moved to Jamie’s lower back, slipping just under her shirt and stroking over the smooth expanse of her back as she urged her closer.

Jamie tilted her head to give her girlfriend more room, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me even though we’re already late to open up the shop.”

Dani hummed against her neck as she placed a kiss just under her ear. “Well, we both still need to get ready. We could always save time by showering together…”

Jamie let out a little groan as she pushed away from Dani, arousal pooling low in her abdomen. “Trust me, there’s no way that’d save us any time,” she said before taking Dani’s hand and tugging her towards the bathroom. “Good thing I don’t give a fuck about opening the shop late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you'd like to see the queer book club meeting as a part 2 to this chapter. I was planning on writing it, but only if the interest is there, otherwise I'll just work on another oneshot/chapter!


End file.
